


Worth It

by karcathy



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Fluff, M/M, coffee shop AU, i guess more tags? will be added? as i add more chapters?, i just like to write these cute gays, i need to learn how to stop tag rambling sorry, kind of it quite quickly drifts away from the coffee shop but the intention is there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 02:45:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6547495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karcathy/pseuds/karcathy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leorio didn't think working in a coffee shop would bring him anything more than a bit of extra cash to help get him into medical school, but that was before Kurapika turned up. Now he's falling fast and hard for the mysterious boy, who seems to only answer his phone once a week and has more secrets than Leorio has cheesy pick-up lines (which is a lot).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was a warm, sunny day, with the sort of weather that made you just want to lie on the grass and nap all day. Unfortunately for Leorio, he had to work – in a small, independent and far too stuffy coffee shop that still gave him better wages and hours than any of the chains, even if his uniform did look slightly ridiculous. It was only 11am, but business was slow and everyone else had vanished with the vague instruction to shout if things got busy; he assumed most people were taking advantage of the nice weather, and, as good as this place supposedly was, it was charmingly disorganised and didn't have any outdoor seating – or, apparently, any ventilation. And, since he was the most junior member of staff, of course it would fall to him to keep this place running. Fanning himself gently with his notepad, he leant against the wall and let his eyes drift shut, only to have them spring open again as the door creaked open. It took him a moment, in his sleepy state, to register that everyone coming in was somewhere below his eyeline. He was tall, sure, but the two boys laughing and chatting in front of him couldn't have hit puberty yet. Behind them, a quiet and androgynous man (or boy?) in a suit, only a few inches taller than the boys, entered and quickly scanned the room from behind the dark sunglasses that obscured most of his face.

“Good morning,” he began, recovering from his shock, “May I-”

“Table for two,” interrupted the white haired boy with an impudent grin.

“Of course,” said Leorio smoothly, resisting the urge to clip him around the ear, “This way, sir.”

He started to lead them towards a window table, only to have the taller boy – was he a bodyguard? He couldn't be much older than his charge – take his elbow and quietly instruct him to give them the table in the corner. This guy seemed very serious, and it made him wonder what kind of pre-teen boy needed a bodyguard. Quite apart from that, the young bodyguard was _very_ pretty. That wasn't a word Leorio was used to applying to boys, but there was no other way to describe him. Leorio found himself idly wondering what he looked like beneath the sunglasses, which he was still wearing despite the dim lighting.

“Do you need a moment to choose, or can I take your order now?” he asked the white haired boy, who seemed to be in charge. The other boy was staring around like he'd never been in a coffee shop before, and Leorio couldn't help but notice his wild black hair looked like it had never seen a hairbrush before either.

“Hmm,” he said, looking through the list of cakes, “I want these ones.”

He pointed to four different cakes, and Leorio dutifully noted them down whilst privately wondering who was letting this prepubescent boy eat that much cake. The bodyguard didn't seem surprised or concerned by his choice; was this a regular occurrence? What did this kid's _teeth_ look like?

“Would you like a drink with that?” he asked, trying not to look like he was judging the kid's choices.

“Chocolate milkshake,” said the kid, predictably going for the drink with the highest fat and sugar content on the menu, “Hey, Gon, what do you want?”

“Could I have a chocolate milkshake, too, please?” said Gon, giving Leorio a wide-eyed look.

“Of course,” said Leorio, momentarily taken aback by his politeness, “And anything to eat?”

“No, thank you,” he said, then he looked up at the bodyguard and added “Hey, Kurapika, do you want something?”

Kurapika hesitated, then said “Killua?” in a questioning tone, as if asking permission. He seemed to have finally decided it was too dark for sunglasses, sliding them off then folding them and putting them away in his pocket. Leorio couldn't help but notice his eyes, which were surprisingly dark – almost black. For some reason he'd expected lighter eyes, perhaps because of his blond hair.

“Oh, you can have whatever you want,” said Killua dismissively, waving his hand.

“Black coffee. Please.”

“Excellent,” said Leorio, smiling at the bodyguard then quickly glancing away, just in case it looked like he was staring, “I'll be right back.”

 

The two milkshakes and Killua's four cakes took up an entire tray, so he decided to bring the coffee separately rather than risk dropping something.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, placing the last cake in front of Killua, who barely paused to nod before shoving half a cake in his face. Gon was staring at him with a kind of enraptured fascination, and Leorio didn't blame him.

“I'll be back with your coffee in just a moment,” he added, smiling at the impassive bodyguard before winding his way back across the room to grab the cup of coffee he'd left on the counter.

He kept his focus on his feet as he walked back across – even though the coffee shop was empty, the tables were still crammed close together and he didn't want to make a fool of himself tripping over one. He had almost reached the table when he happened to look up and catch Kurapika's eye. Thrown by the fact the bodyguard was apparently staring at him, he stumbled, the cup flying out of his hands. Faster than he thought was possible, Kurapika darted out from behind Killua and grabbed the cup before it could hit his charge.

“I never thought I'd be defending you against assassination by coffee,” he said drily, carefully putting the cup (still mostly full) on the table.

“I am so, so sorry,” said Leorio, his face bright red, wishing that the ground would open up and swallow him whole, “I-”

“No harm done,” interrupted Kurapika, giving him a small smile, “Next time, perhaps I'll order a cold drink.”

“Looks like you're getting too old for this job,” commented Killua, smirking at Leorio; he seemed completely unphased by the incident.

“What- how old do you think I am?!” Leorio nearly shouted, momentarily forgetting that he couldn't be rude to customers, “I'm not even 20 yet!”

He almost missed the look of surprise that crossed Kurapika's face before being masked by his usual impassive expression.

“Wow, I thought you were at least 30!” said Gon, wide-eyed with amazement.

“You children are vicious,” complained Leorio, “Anyway, what are you guys doing without any adults around? What are you, like 12?”

“I'm 12 and a half!” said Gon, at the same time as Killua said “We've got Kurapika.”

“And he's, what, 15?” said Leorio, privately thinking his estimate there was a little generous but hoping the bodyguard actually was an adult.

“17,” said Kurapika coolly, looking slightly amused.

“What kind of 12-year-olds have a 17-year-old bodyguard?” asked Leorio, completely forgetting himself and pulling up a chair.

“He's very responsible,” said Gon earnestly, “And he could _probably_ kill you.”

“I could definitely kill him, Gon,” corrected Kurapika.

“Anyway, I didn't like any of the others,” said Killua through a mouthful of cake.

Leorio buried his face in his hands, then said, in a slightly muffled voice, “So why do you need a bodyguard?”

“Oh, lots of people want to kill me,” said Killua casually, “I'm a Zoldyck, after all.”

“A what?” asked Leorio, looking up.

“My family are all professional assassins.”

Leorio raised an eyebrow sceptically.

“I mean, I can look after myself,” he continued, licking frosting off another piece of cake, “I started killing people _years_ ago. But my mother wanted me to have a bodyguard anyway.”

“You're an assassin?” asked Leorio, staring blankly, “But you're 12?”

“Hey, don't be ageist, old man,” Killua said, waving his fork at the waiter.

“Sorry I asked,” he said, still not entirely sure whether they were being serious, “What about you?”

“Oh, I'm just looking for my dad,” said Gon.

“In a coffee shop?” Leorio joked, relieved that this kid didn't seem to be an assassin too.

“Sure, why not?”

Leorio blinked, then decided not to try to explain the joke.

“Well, let me know if you need anything,” he said, standing up.

 

He returned to his place near the door, just in case anyone else came in, although that seemed unlikely. The shop was well hidden and seemed to fluctuate between packed and completely empty, and Leorio had no idea how people found out about it. Come to think of it, he didn't even know who owned it. As he stood there, leaning casually against the wall, he kept sneaking glances at the corner table. Gon and Killua were talking animatedly, and Leorio laughed to himself as Killua shoved a chunk of cake into Gon's open mouth. Assassin or not, right now he seemed just like a normal kid. Behind him, Kurapika was smiling fondly. Despite his stoical demeanour, the bodyguard seemed to care a lot about these kids. Leorio glanced away and then back again, trying to make it look like he wasn't staring – but he wanted to stare. Kurapika was incredibly pretty, perhaps even beautiful, with the slim lines of his body accentuated by his well-fitted suit. His blond hair fell over his dark eyes, and Leorio found himself wondering how soft it would be. Kurapika looked up and caught his eye, and he quickly shifted his gaze to Killua, feeling the tips of his ears burn red. Killua looked up and smirked at him, then motioned for Kurapika to lean over. He whispered something in his ear, and the bodyguard's cheeks turned pink. Leorio tried to stop staring, but he couldn't help noticing it was a very flattering look on him.

“Hey, old man!” called Killua, looking over at Leorio, “We want the bill now!”

“Of course,” said Leorio, moving smoothly over to the machine and bringing up their bill, “Was everything satisfactory?”

“Oh, I think so,” said Killua, smirking, “But could I get a glass of water?”

“Certainly.”

Leorio returned almost instantaneously, only to find the table deserted, with only the debris of Killua's snacks and the bill sitting on it. Leorio picked it up, his eyes widening as he realised they'd left 10 times too much – definitely the largest tip he'd ever gotten, and for what? Almost spilling hot coffee all over an over-privileged 12 year old? Glancing back down at the bill, he noticed there was a phone number and the words _call me_ scrawled across it in messy handwriting. He felt his heart stutter; did Kurapika leave him his number? But why? Or was this just a joke? Sighing, he tucked it away in his pocket and resolved to call it later anyway, just in case.

 

He'd almost forgotten about the number by that evening, despite the fact that Kurapika's face kept leaping to mind at inopportune moments. He felt it rustle in his pocket as he collapsed onto the sofa, and pulled it out, staring at it thoughtfully. Finally, he pulled out his phone and typed out the number – with some difficulty, since the scruffy handwriting was hard to decipher. The phone continued to ring for what felt like forever, and he was just contemplating hanging up when it connected.

“This is Kurapika,” said a curt voice on the other end, “Who's calling?”

“Oh, um, hi,” stuttered Leorio, slightly taken aback, “It's Leorio.”

“Who?”

“From the coffee shop,” said Leorio, remembering he hadn't given his name earlier, “Today? You were with those kids-”

“Oh, the waiter?” said Kurapika, and Leorio might have been imagining it but he thought he heard his tone get warmer, “How did you get my number?”

“It was written on the bill.”

“Ah. Killua.”

“Oh. So it wasn't you?” said Leorio, trying not to sound too disappointed.

“No, but I'm glad.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Would you like to go out to dinner tomorrow?”

“Oh! Uh. Yes. Definitely!” said Leorio, wincing at his lack of eloquence, “It's a date.”

 

Despite trying his hardest to leave in plenty of time, Leorio was late to the restaurant. Readjusting his tie, he attempted to regain some of his composure as he scanned the room for Kurapika. He spotted him in the corner, intently perusing the menu, and made his way over to join him.

“Sorry I'm late,” he said, sliding into his seat and deciding not to add _I don't have a reason, it's just a character flaw_.

“It's fine. I ordered some wine,” Kurapika said, indicating the glass in front of him, “I hope that's all right.”

“Oh. Yes, that's fine,” said Leorio, taking a sip, “Good choice.”

Kurapika nodded absently, running a finger down the page.

“So. Um,” said Leorio, desperately searching for something to talk about, “Do you know why Killua decided to leave me your number?”

“He noticed you staring at me,” Kurapika replied, not looking up from the menu, “Apparently you looked quite smitten.”

Leorio could feel his face turning bright red and his vocal cords tightening as he attempted to splutter a reply.

“I thought it was sweet,” Kurapika continued, “Even though you did spill my coffee.”

“Sorry about that,” said Leorio, his cheeks still burning, “So, ah, when Killua was whispering...?”

“Yes, that's when he pointed it out,” he said, a faint pink tinge coming into his cheeks, “Although somewhat indelicately. I didn't realise he'd left you my number, though.”

“Oh. So,” said Leorio, taking another sip of wine then pausing before continuing, “Wait, I thought you were underage.”

Kurapika just raised one eyebrow at him.

“I'm positively scandalised,” he said, holding one hand to his heart in mock horror, “What kind of example are you setting for the kids?”

“Killua was right,” Kurapika said, rolling his eyes, “You _are_ an old man.”

“I'm 19! You can't really think I'm that old.”

Kurapika remained tactfully silent, returning his gaze to the menu.

“How old did you think I was?” Leorio continued, leaning forwards.

“I couldn't possibly say,” said Kurapika, his eyes still fixed on the menu.

“That bad, huh?”

Kurapika smiled, finally looking up, and made an L with his right hand, resting his chin in the crook and thoughtfully tapping his index finger against his cheek.

“You know,” he said, “I think it's the sunglasses. They look more suited to an octogenarian.”

“Well, now I'm just offended,” said Leorio, removing his tiny sunglasses and placing them on the table, “How about now?”

“Hmm. Definitely under 30.”

“That's still the wrong decade!”

“Well, you thought I was 15,” Kurapika pointed out, smirking.

“That's not unreasonable. Have you seen yourself?”

“Yes,” said Kurapika, his tone smug, “I'm practically perfect in every way.”

“What, you floated down here on an umbrella?”

Kurapika frowned, a confused expression on his face.

“ _Mary Poppins_? You literally _just_ quoted it,” Leorio said, shaking his head slowly.

“That was a quote?”

“Oh my- So you're saying you haven't seen _Mary Poppins_? Did you grow up in a cave?”

“Something like that,” he said, smirking, “Is it important?”

“Well, I'm not sure how well this will go if every pop culture reference I make goes over your head,” joked Leorio, “Mind you, I'm sure a lot of things go over your head.”

“I am _not_ short,” said Kurapika, his lips pressed together in what was clearly a suppressed smile.

“You only think that because you hang out with 12-year-olds all the time.”

“They make me feel tall.”

Leorio let out a loud bark of laughter, startling the waiter who'd come over to take their order. He realised he hadn't actually looked at the menu yet, and just picked the first thing he saw, eager to get back into their conversation.

“Besides,” said Kurapika, as the waiter walked away, “You're tall enough that I wouldn't want to hang around near you in a lightning storm.”

“At least I can use the top shelves in my cupboards,” countered Leorio, grinning broadly.

“At least I can go to the movies and not have everyone assume I'm two kids in a trenchcoat.”

“At least I can see the screen at the movies.”

“How short do you think I am?” Kurapika said, smiling in a way that could only be described as slightly exasperated but oddly fond, “I'm average height, you know.”

“I refuse to accept that,” replied Leorio, waving a finger for emphasis, “I might be tall but I must be closer to average than you are.”

“It's true! I looked it up.”

“Only a short person would be insecure enough to look that up!” Leorio said, grinning triumphantly.

“I was just curious,” Kurapika said, shrugging.

“So you're the kind of person who knows statistics like that, but you've never heard of _Mary Poppins_ , huh?” Leorio said, shaking his head, “Interesting.”

“What's so interesting about that?”

“What movies have you seen, then?” asked Leorio, ignoring the question.

“Hmm,” said Kurapika, resting his chin thoughtfully in his hand, “I think... I think the last one I watched was a documentary about whales.”

“Documentaries don't count!” protested Leorio, accidentally bumping the table.

“Oh. Then, I don't remember. It must have been a long time ago.”

“We're definitely going to see one for our next date,” said Leorio, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Oh, you're certain there's going to be a second date?” said Kurapika, with a teasing smile.

“Well, uh,” said Leorio, blushing, “I hope so?”

Kurapika just smiled, and Leorio quickly scanned the room, looking for a change of subject. Before he could, his thoughts were interrupted by Kurapika.

“So, tell me about yourself,” he said, leaning forward, his chin resting on his folded hands.

“Okay. Sure,” he said, wondering what exactly to tell him, “Well, uh, you know I'm a waiter. But I'm actually studying to get into medical school. I just need to earn some more money to afford the fees.”

“Oh, you want to be a doctor?” Kurapika said, sounding slightly surprised.

“Yes, I do,” he said, smiling, “I know I don't look like the type-”

“I don't know,” interrupted Kurapika, “Maybe based on first impressions. But, now... Yes, I can see that.”

“Thanks.”

There was a brief moment of eye contact, then they both smiled, glancing away, slightly embarrassed.

“So, what about you?” Leorio asked, tracing patterns on the table with one hand.

“I'm a bodyguard,” he said, his expression tightening. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, then closed it again.

“I wouldn't think it, looking at you,” Leorio said, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Is this another short comment?”

“Not just that,” said Leorio, smiling, “You're very... pretty.”

“Oh. Thank you?” he said, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

“You don't look very dangerous,” Leorio added, “I thought intimidation was part of the whole bodyguard deal.”

“Maybe. Killua doesn't like to draw too much attention to himself, though,” said Kurapika, tapping his finger lightly against the base of his wine glass, “It's more inconspicuous for him to have a bodyguard closer to his own age.”

“Ah, yeah,” said Leorio, leaning back to let the waiter put his food in front of him, “What's a kid like him need a bodyguard for anyway? Although, I mean, I can imagine wanting to hit him.”

Kurapika laughed softly. It was a melodious sound that made Leorio want to hear him laugh more.

“He can be quite rude, can't he?” he said, a fond expression on his face, “Well, it's the family. They're very powerful, and very dangerous. And they have a lot of enemies.”

“Enemies who'd go after a 12-year-old?” Leorio asked, pausing with his fork halfway to his face.

“Killua has enemies of his own,” said Kurapika, waving his knife for emphasis, “Don't underestimate him.”

“Huh. So you're in with an interesting crowd, then.”

“You could say that.”

Leorio whistled softly. He quietly wondered what he was getting himself into.

“You're lucky you're pretty,” he said, smiling as the pink flush returned to Kurapika's cheeks.

“I must be very pretty. That's twice you've said that,” he said, staring at his food but not touching it.

“Oh. Well, you are,” Leorio said, shrugging one shoulder.

Kurapika's blush deepened. Leorio let the silence go on for a few minutes, both of them focusing on their food.

“I'm sorry,” he said, eventually, “I didn't mean to embarrass you. Or make you uncomfortable.”

“No, no, it's fine,” said Kurapika, finally meeting his eyes, “I'm just not... used to this.”

“Is pretty the wrong word? I don't want to offend you,” he said, suddenly realising that, as a beautiful and diminutive boy, Kurapika might not enjoy having those characteristics pointed out.

“Oh, no, that's fine,” he said, shaking his head and smiling, “I used to be... upset about things like that, but I realised they don't particularly matter. They're just words. They don't exactly need to be attached to a gender, right?”

“Exactly,” said Leorio, grinning.

“That said, I probably still wouldn't call _you_ pretty.”

“Well, now I'm just offended,” said Leorio teasingly, “Should I start wearing make-up?”

“I'm sure it couldn't hurt,” he said, smirking.

Leorio laughed, before admitting “I wouldn't know where to begin.”

“I've never felt the need for it, myself.”

“Good,” said Leorio, laughing again, “Leave the make-up for us ugly fuckers.”

Kurapika's laugh was just as melodious as before, even slightly muffled behind his hand.

“Oh, but that's not fair,” he said, his eyes bright with amusement.

“No, it'd be unfair to let you use it,” disagreed Leorio, shaking his head vehemently, “If you got any prettier I might go blind.” He hesitated, then added “That was meant to be a compliment.”

“I could tell,” said Kurapika, a faint blush rising in his cheeks again, “Just about. You have to stop complimenting me or I'll turn as red as a lobster.”

“Now that's a hot look,” joked Leorio, grinning when he made Kurapika laugh again, “Besides, what kind of date would I be if I didn't give you a few compliments?”

“Oh, is that a hint?” said Kurapika, raising one eyebrow.

“I'm just putting it out there,” he said, running one hand through his hair, “I happen to think I'm incredibly handsome.”

Kurapika snorted into his glass, spluttering as he put it back on the table.

“Don't say things like that when I'm drinking!” he admonished, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I'm even more offended now!” said Leorio, trying his best to look hurt.

“I'm sorry,” said Kurapika, hesitating before continuing, “Well, now I feel like I _can't_ compliment you. I wouldn't be able to take it seriously.”

“Oh, that's really comforting,” said Leorio, grinning broadly, “I feel really good about myself now. Well, don't worry. I'll just have to compliment you even more to make up for it.”

“Great,” said Kurapika drily, “I look forward to it.”

“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?” began Leorio, frowning as he realised he only knew that one line, “Thou art... hot.”

Kurapika snorted again, choking on his wine, a few spots splattering the table.

“You're trying to kill me!” he said, waving an accusatory finger.

“I'm sorry, should I try to be less witty and charming?”

“If that's at all possible.”

Leorio laughed, holding one hand up to his heart.

“You wound me,” he said, unable to keep the grin off his face.

“Would you like to see the dessert menu?” the waiter asked, removing their now-empty plates from in front of them.

Kurapika gave Leorio a questioning look, then shook his head, saying “No, could we have the bill, please?”

“Certainly.”

“I'm paying, by the way,” said Kurapika, watching the waiter walk away.

“What? No, we'll split it,” said Leorio, even as he tried to remember how much money was left in his account.

“No, I insist. My treat. You need all your money for medical school, anyway.”

Leorio sighed, then said “Fine”, realising it would probably be pointless to argue with him.

“I'm paying next time, though,” he said, as Kurapika handed the waiter his card.

“All right,” said Kurapika, smiling slightly, “We're going to a movie, right?”

“Exactly,” said Leorio, standing up, “Did you walk here, or drive?”

“I walked. It's not far to my house.”

“Can I walked you home?” he asked, wondering if it'd be awkward to offer him his arm.

“Only if we're going in the same direction,” said Kurapika, slipping his hand into the crook of his elbow.

It turned out they weren't, but Leorio decided not to mention that. It turned out to be only a five minute walk to Kurapika's house anyway, mostly in comfortable silence.

“Well, this is me,” he said, indicating the door, “I'll call you.”

“Yes,” said Leorio.

He hovered in awkward silence for a moment, then bent down and pressed a clumsy kiss to his cheek.

“Please do!” he said, waving as he walked off.

He glanced back after a few moments to see Kurapika still standing on his doorstep, one hand pressed to his cheek. Just barely resisting the urge to leap in the air and pump his fist, he kept walking, a new spring in his step. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see a text from Kurapika which just read _Liar_. Grinning, he texted back: _It was worth it_. He thought he could hear soft laughter coming from behind him as he turned the corner. 


	2. Chapter 2

Leorio knew it was ridiculous to hope Kurapika would call the next day, but part of him hoped that anyway. When it reached the second day after their date and he still hadn't called, Leorio thought perhaps he might be following that ridiculous 3-day rule, even though he'd hoped Kurapika would be above that kind of nonsense. By the fourth day, he was starting to get pissed off. What kind of guy says he's going to call and then doesn't? He sat staring at his phone, going to call his number then tossing it aside, for nearly an hour before deciding to be the bigger man (figuratively as well as literally) and just call him first. Impatiently tapping his fingers against his thigh, he waited for an answer then cursed as it went through to voicemail. He tried twice more before giving up and deciding to leave a message.

“Hi, it's Leorio,” he said, scanning his brain for something to say that wouldn't embarrass him, “Hope you haven't forgotten me already! Haha, anyway, call me back when you can.”

He cringed, wishing he had the option to delete the message, but sighed and hung up before he could do any more damage.

He let another two days go by, focusing on work and studying for his entrance exams, before he called Kurapika again. Once again, he ended up with his voicemail.

“Hey, Leorio again,” he said, “I guess my last message didn't get through. Call me back?”

This time, he only left it until the next morning before sending him a text which he spent several hours composing (in his head whilst he worked, and finally sent in his break) and which ended up reading _Hey! Did you get my voicemail?_ By this point, he was less worried about sounding desperate and more angry that Kurapika apparently couldn't even be bothered to send him a text to say _sorry, actually I'm not interested after all_.

By the next day, he had to actively resist the urge to send a stream of angry texts to Kurapika berating him for never answering his phone. When he saw a familiar head of white hair entering the shop, followed by black and blond, he thought he might actually explode with rage, but he decided it was more sensible to play it cool.

“Good morning,” he said, with his best host smile, making direct eye contact with Kurapika, “You're not dead, then.”

Kurapika shot him a glare that clearly said _Not now_ , and inclined his head towards the children.

“What's that supposed to mean, old man?” asked Killua, scowling.

“Nothing, nothing,” he said hurriedly, “Table for two, yes?”

He seated them quickly and took their orders, trying not to look too judgemental at Killua's. Kurapika ordered an iced coffee, smiling, and Leorio felt his ears burning as he remembered last time.

He waited until they were leaving before tapping Kurapika on the shoulder and asking to talk to him. He looked at Killua first, who nodded casually and walked off, before stepping aside with Leorio.

“Look, I can't talk long, I've got to get back to work,” said Leorio, “But, uh, you didn't call.”

“I'm sorry,” said Kurapika, looking apologetic, “I've been busy.”

“Too busy to text me back?” asked Leorio, raising one eyebrow.

“I'm sorry,” repeated Kurapika, staring out through the door after Killua and Gon, “Look, I- I've got to go. I'll call you tonight, I promise.”

Leorio watched him leave, a frustrated expression on his face. He wasn't sure whether to believe him – _what could keep him that busy?_ \- but he wanted to. He really, really wanted to.

He checked and double-checked his phone every five minutes that evening, making sure it wasn't on silent and that he had signal. He had intended to do some studying, in preparation for his entrance exams, but even when he could tear himself away from his phone, he couldn't focus on the page in front of him. Time seemed to be passing especially slowly, and it seemed like eternity before it was finally 10pm – his self-imposed limit for calling Kurapika first. He hung up quickly when he got the engaged tone, hoping against hope that Kurapika was trying to call him, and then nearly dropped his phone when it rang suddenly. He almost messed up and rejected the call, but finally he managed to answer it.

“Hello?” he said, sounding exactly like he'd been waiting desperately for this phone call for four hours.

“Leorio,” said Kurapika, his soft voice sending shivers down Leorio's spine.

“You called,” he said stupidly, “I mean, of course you called.”

“Sorry I didn't call sooner, I-”

“I know, you were busy,” interrupted Leorio, trying not to sound too accusatory, “So, about that second date, then.”

“Oh, you're still interested?” he said, sounding surprised, “I thought...”

He trailed off, and Leorio resisted the urge to tut at him.

“Of course I'm still interested,” Leorio said, rolling his eyes, “What, you thought your standoffish behaviour could put me off? Sorry, I'm _far_ more persistent than that.”

Kurapika laughed softly, making Leorio's heart leap into his mouth.

“So,” Leorio continued, “Are you free tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“I don't want to give you more excuses to avoid me.”

“But it's past 10,” said Kurapika, sounding amused and exasperated, “I thought we were going to the cinema.”

“I have Netflix,” he said, “And I'm sure you haven't seen anything on there.”

“Well...” Kurapika said, sounding halfway convinced.

“I'll even let you pick what we watch.”

“I don't even know what they have.”

“They definitely have at least one thing you'll like,” he said, trying his best to sound convincing.

“Fine,” said Kurapika with a sigh.

“I'll text you my address.”

Kurapika hung up without saying goodbye, and Leorio rolled his eyes before sending the text – and then another, telling him to bring popcorn. Kurapika didn't respond to either, but he got an _I'm here_ text 15 minutes later.

“Your apartment is nice,” said Kurapika, his tone unreadable as he looked around the cluttered room.

“Um, thanks,” said Leorio, unsure whether to take it seriously, “Sorry about the mess. Did you bring popcorn?”

Kurapika held up a box of microwave popcorn in response.

“Great,” said Leorio, taking it off of him, “Well, I've got Netflix set up in here, so do you want to pick a movie whilst I do the popcorn?”

“Sure,” said Kurapika, turning to the T.V. with a focused expression.

Leorio stared at him for a moment before making his way through to the kitchen. He was pleased to see Kurapika had chosen salted popcorn; he couldn't date someone who preferred sweet.

“Have you chosen something?” he said, carefully carrying the large bowl of popcorn through into the living room.

“There are too many options,” Kurapika replied, staring intently at the screen, “How am I meant to pick one?”

“Well, what kind of movie do you want to watch?” he asked, sitting next to him on the sofa and putting the bowl on the table.

“I don't know, this was your idea,” he huffed, flicking through his recommendations.

“It's your choice,” said Leorio, shrugging, “I don't mind what we watch.”

“But I don't know any movies,” he said, frowning.

“Okay, do you want to watch a romcom? A drama? Disney?” said Leorio, trying to be helpful.

“I don't know. A comedy?”

“Now we're getting somewhere,” said Leorio, pointing at the screen, “Look, click on browse and go to comedies.”

“Okay,” said Kurapika, getting there after a few misplaced clicks, “What now?”

“Wow, that's quite a variety,” said Leorio, “Huh. Oh, I love _Clueless_.”

“Do you want to watch that?”

“Do you?”

“I don't know what it's about,” said Kurapika, rolling his eyes.

“It's loosely based on _Emma_ ,” said Leorio, continuing when Kurapika didn't react, “The Jane Austen novel?”

“I've heard of Jane Austen,” he said, and Leorio laughed.

“How do you know so little?”

“I know plenty of things,” said Kurapika, elbowing him in the ribs, “I'm just not interested in pop culture.”

“You're missing out,” said Leorio, “Let's watch _Clueless_ , then. Your education begins here.”

Leorio clicked on the movie then settled back into the sofa, his feet on the coffee table and the bowl of popcorn resting in his lap. Kurapika looked a little hesitant, but he leant back as well, a few inches of space between them, and watched the opening credits with a sceptical expression.

“How old is this movie?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.

“It's from the 90s,” said Leorio, taking a handful of popcorn, “And don't you dare judge, 90s cinema was a thing of beauty.”

“So you're into... 90s teen girl movies?”

“You make it sound so bad,” said Leorio, rolling his eyes, “It's a good movie, okay? Just shut up and enjoy it.”

Kurapika looked unconvinced, but he stopped talking. 10 minutes in, he started questioning Leorio's taste again, but Leorio just shut him up by shoving some popcorn into his mouth.

“Leorio!” Kurapika protested, but he took a handful of popcorn and made an attempt to continue watching.

Leorio kept glancing at him, barely paying attention to the movie (which he'd seen five times) as he tried to gauge his reaction.

“You hate it, don't you?” he said eventually.

“Well...” Kurapika said, looking at him, “I'm not sure it's my sort of movie.”

“You don't even watch movies,” he said mournfully.

“You did say I could choose,” Kurapika reminded him.

“I know, but you didn't have any ideas.”

“I'll try to like it,” said Kurapika, curling his legs up underneath himself and leaning into Leorio's side.

“Good,” said Leorio, slipping his arm around him, “Eat some more popcorn.”

Kurapika opened his mouth, probably to protest, and Leorio put some popcorn in his mouth. Kurapika laughed, but let Leorio continue to feed him popcorn, and Kurapika protested when Leorio tried to eat some himself.

“Don't be greedy,” Leorio said, tapping him on the nose.

“Hey,” he said, batting away his hand, “It's my popcorn.”

“I'll pay you back,” said Leorio, feeding him another piece, “Pay attention to the movie.”

Kurapika sighed, shifting so his head was resting on Leorio's chest. Leorio moved his hand so it was resting lightly on Kurapika's waist, ready to withdraw it if he objected. He reached into the bowl for more popcorn, then set it on the floor, disappointed, when he realised it was empty. Kurapika's head started to slide slowly down towards his lap, and he felt his ears heat up as he realised that.

“Hey, are you paying attention?” he said, nudging him.

“Hmm?” said Kurapika sleepily, pushing himself somewhat upright with a hand on Leorio's thigh, “'m not sleeping.”

Leorio laughed.

“Sorry, it is quite late,” he said.

“It's not that late,” objected Kurapika, “I blame you for choosing a boring movie.”

“How dare you?” gasped Leorio, only slightly exaggerating his reaction.

“I'm sorry I'm not interested in teenage drama.”

“But you _are_ a teenager,” said Leorio, “You could be one of them.”

“I'll try not to be too offended, shall I?”

“You're only offended because you have bad taste in movies.”

“I thought you were the one with bad taste.”

“Fine, you just have no taste,” huffed Leorio.

“I'll accept that,” said Kurapika, snuggling more closely into him.

“Don't fall asleep,” said Leorio, sighing.

Kurapika just made a soft humming noise, twisting around to press his lips to Leorio's neck. Leorio could feel himself blushing.

“So, you've definitely given up on the movie, then?” said Leorio.

“Mm,” said Kurapika, moving so he was straddling Leorio and pausing, his lips perhaps an inch away from Leorio, “Do you want to keep watching?”

“Uh, no, um, this is-”

_Fine_ , he thought, the word cut off as Kurapika kissed him, so gently he could barely feel it. He smiled, then kissed him again, sweet and slow. Leorio's hands went automatically to his waist, resting there, slightly uncertain. Kurapika's hands slid into his hair as he deepened the kiss. He tasted slightly salty. In the background, Paul Rudd was saying something about bare midriffs. It was something like a perfect moment. Kurapika sighed softly, breaking off the kiss.

“Would you hate me if I said I had to leave now?” he said quietly, his breath warm against Leorio's lips.

“Yes?” said Leorio, and he laughed softly, kissing him again.

“I really should go,” he said, sliding his arms around Leorio's neck.

“It doesn't look like you're going,” said Leorio, wrapping his arms around Kurapika's waist and pulling him close.

“I'm definitely going,” said Kurapika, moving to kiss his neck.

“Yeah, looks like it,” he said, as Kurapika pressed a line of gentle kisses down to the upper border of his collar.

Kurapika sighed again, pulling back far enough to look Leorio in the eye.

“I really should go,” he repeated, looking a little sad.

“How long until I get a third date?” asked Leorio, letting his arms loosen around him.

“I'll call you,” said Kurapika, leaning in to kiss him once more.

“You promise?”

“Yes, I promise,” he said, standing up, “This was nice. Despite your terrible taste in movies.”

“You mean despite _your_ terrible taste in movies,” said Leorio, following him to the door, “Don't forget to call.”

“I won't,” said Kurapika, and he pulled him down for one last kiss, lingering for a moment before vanishing down the hall.

“I bet he won't call,” said Leorio under his breath as he watched him leave. He really hoped he was wrong, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello here is chapter 2. sorry it's like half as long but i'm lazy. not sure where i'm going to take this next. but hey, enjoy the kisses.

**Author's Note:**

> so yeah, this was meant to be a coffee shop au but i guess it's getting kind of out of hand, i have a second chapter that's mostly ready to go, but from there i have to decide where to take this. which i guess is down to whether anyone's interested in seeing this develop into Actual Plot Things or if you just want them to get together already. we'll see. why am i even doing this, i already have a long project (currently at over 30k, god) to work on. and medical school. trust me, leorio, it's hard. 
> 
> anyway. whatever.
> 
> oh yeah also the rating will definitely change as this progresses. sooner or later is basically down to you tbh.
> 
> I FORGOT TO MENTION kurapika actually is average height for a japanese man. also, he's the same height as me, i obviously have to defend him. leorio is too tall.


End file.
